Fears of a mass exodus and the assumption that Haitians were simply fleeing the extreme poverty of the island have influenced their treatment in decades past, experts say. Between 1981 and 1990, for instance, only 11 out of nearly 23,000 Haitians found at sea were considered eligible to apply for U.S. asylum, according to the Council on Hemispheric Affairs.

Unlike Cubans, who were able to push for some added protections, “the Haitians had very little political clout,” said Larry Birns, director of the council. “Theirs was a muffled voice.”

That is beginning to shift as the Haitian Diaspora becomes more empowered, Birns said, but its influence “has been imperceptible until recently.”

The Washington Report on the Hemisphere

December 19, 2014. Issue 34.19-Latin America in 2015: An Interview with Director of COHA Larry Birns
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